


Tea Drinking Cutie

by synoa



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Human, Challenge Response, M/M, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, POV Derek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-13 07:44:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11180208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/synoa/pseuds/synoa
Summary: Derek works as a barista at a coffee shop, Stiles doesn't drink coffee because of the Adderall.They are not off to the best start but they find a way to make it work.Written for the "Caffè o Tè?" challenge at fanwriter.it





	Tea Drinking Cutie

**Author's Note:**

> There was this quick (4 days) challenge over the weekend and I thought, why not. Only I didn't stop and consider I was probably supposed to write this in Italian... Too late now, please don't kill me, organisers...
> 
> Initiative: This story is part of the "Caffè o Tè?" ("Coffee or Tea?") challenge organised by fanwriter.it  
> Word Count: around 1400 words  
> Prompt: 2: Coffee Shop!AU, A, barista, likes B, but B only drinks tea and for A it’s a personal offence.
> 
> I think the prompt got away from me a little bit, but the concept of the challenge was having a tea drinker vs a coffee drinker in the pairing and I managed that at least. It's one of my first attempts at Sterek, so let me know what you think.
> 
> I wrote this today and it's not beta read, feel free to let me know if you see any errors.

Derek wouldn't say he is doing his dream job. Regardless of what his sisters have to say on the topic, he has dreams just like anyone else. He wouldn't have studied architecture if that wasn't the case. But until he finds an opening in his chosen field he is satisfied with working at the coffee shop. He started while he was a college student to make some money in his spare time and he is now doing longer shifts. It's not the best job but it helps pay for rent and the bills and, as he was saying, he is satisfied. And in Derek's opinion, if something is worth doing it's worth doing well, otherwise why bother, and that's the reason why he always tries his best to make good coffee and be polite to his costumers. It doesn't hurt that he loves coffee and would drink it at all times of the day if that wouldn't bring him to an early grave.

That, however, doesn't seem to help with one particular guy.

The first time he sees him it's a completely unremarkable afternoon, just after the lunch rush. The bell jingles as two college student come in, talking with each other and Derek can't take his eyes off one of them. He is handsome with short dark hair, expressive eyes and a mouth that makes Derek want to do things not appropriate for the workplace. They reach the counter and after the usual pleasantries give him an order of four lattes with different syrups, one flat white and one green tea. Derek doesn't like tea, but he knows how to make it properly, it's just that he is a little occupied with the 5 coffees and with stealing glances to the cutie who is still talking and moving his hands way too much for a conversation about his criminology professor and maybe, just maybe, he leaves it in infusion way too long.  
The cutie pays with a "No, Scott. Today it's my turn, I'm not letting you pay" and takes a sip the tea even though it has to be scalding.  
Derek hopes for a heartbeat that the grimace is because he burned his tongue, but the guy gives him a betrayed look and puts three packets of sugar in his tea, before grabbing half of the drinks and going out with his friend.  
It has to be the worst first impression Derek ever made and he is counting the disastrous first time he talked to Paige. He doesn't even know the guy's name because, as he keeps telling Erica, they are not Starbucks and they don't ask for names, not even to flirt with costumers. Thank God she is not on shift right now, or he would never live this down.

He comes back a few days later with a redhead who is ranting about someone being stupid in her calculus class but stops long enough to order a latte for herself and green tea for him. He stops her with a hand on her wrists and orders a hot chocolate without cream. She looks at him inquisitively and he just shrugs and answers  
"I just don't feel like tea, Lydia, nothing's wrong."  
She seems satisfied with that answer at least for now, pays for their drinks and tips well and they go sit at one of the tables farther from the counter. Derek makes sure to not fuck up the hot chocolate, even though hot chocolate is pretty hard to get wrong when done from a mix, and delivers their drinks. They are still talking about the calculus class but stop long enough to thank him, Lydia gives him a considering look and the guy smiles and maybe the second impression wasn't as bad.  
He still doesn't have his name, despite getting the name of both his friends, and the guy didn't even trust him with his tea, which is kind of ridiculous. It's just tea and it is Derek's job. He knows how to make it, damn it.

The third and fourth time he comes in, each time with a different friend (Allison and Liam), Erica is behind the counter and she makes him a green tea. Derek hears him laugh, and it's kind of contagious and he wants to keep hearing that sound for the rest of his life.

Then Alison and Lydia come in for a coffee run for the whole group, they order the usual assortment of caffeinated drinks, then look at each other and at Derek and add a hot chocolate.  
Derek looks at them, considers saying anything about it and then lives it be. He will talk to the guy the next time he comes to the shop, he doesn't want to involve the friends. They seem like a gossipy bunch and he doesn't want to give them reasons to talk about him. 

The only problem the next time the guy comes in is that Derek has no idea how to say "Sorry about making you horrible tea that one time, can I make you proper tea this time?" without sounding completely pathetic and obsessed about a guy he doesn't even know anything about, except that he flails around when he is excited about something and that he always seems to be excited about random things, from his college courses to movie franchises owned by Disney passing from hilarious history trivia that is completely accurate (Derek checked afterwards). Ok, so maybe he knows things, he just doesn't want to look like a stalker. Then there is the fact that the guy doesn't like coffee, judging by the way he has proclaimed loudly that all his friends have horrible hot beverage taste and that he should get better friends. That's the other reasons he hasn't tried talking to the guy yet, he is not sure he trust the discernment abilities of someone who doesn't like coffee.

It all changes the first time the guy comes in alone. He asks only for a hot chocolate and it doesn’t make sense, why would he come to this particular coffee shop to not order his favourite drink without his friends? Derek decides it's now or never, so he makes him a green tea instead, and gives it to him with a  
"It's on me. I promise it's better than the first time, but I'll make you a hot chocolate if you don't like it."  
The guy looks at him considering and says  
"That was what, three months ago? Pretty good memory."  
and tastes the tea and seems satisfied  
"It's good, thanks."  
"Well, you made an impression and I didn't want you to think you couldn't order your drink of choice just because I was behind the counter."  
"Was your professional pride hurt, Derek?" he asks with a huge grin without checking his tag.  
"Something like that. Since you apparently know my name, can I get yours?"  
The guy smiles and shakes his head.  
"I'm not sure we are at that stage in the relationship Derek, I only just learned you can make good tea, wouldn't that be moving too fast?"  
And Derek can play this game too. And if he doesn't scare the guy off then this might be the start of something that works.  
"I will just have to give you a nickname then, I think Smartass would suit you well."  
And before the guy can start seriously protesting he adds  
"Smartass, will you go on a date with me?"  
He looks at him with the most hilarious fake hurt face and then starts laughing. Derek distractedly hopes that they are not scaring the other costumers away but he is not checking, he only has eyes for the guy in front of him.  
When he calms down a bit he answers with a nod.  
"You can call me Stiles by the way. My name really is something nobody knows except for my Dad."  
"Alright Stiles, does Saturday at 6 work for you?"  
Stiles nods again and leaves with a wink and a "See you Saturday."  
Derek looks at the two young women being served by Erica, talking about how all the hot guys are either gay or taken and saying that the whole thing was cute and sighs mentally. The look on Erica's face means she is plotting something and he is sure it will be painful for him and probably involve his sisters teasing him for the rest of the week but he finds he doesn't care.

He has a date with Stiles, he will deal with the rest.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment or kudos!
> 
> I have a multifandom [tumblr](http://synoaponga.tumblr.com/) that I'll probably try to revamp soon-ish, come say hi!


End file.
